Looking back at the bodybuilding stories that made headlines in 2008 -- Replay Now Available

From tragedy to triumph, the past year has included some unforgettable moments. Continuing a "Pro Bodybuilding Weekly" tradition, the season finale' of PBW provides a look back at the stories that made headlines in 2008. Tune in Monday as MuscleTech presents the 138th edition of bodybuilding talk radio...and the announcement of the "Top 10 Stories of 2008".

Replay Update: The entire 4th season of PBW (40 Shows) is now available on-demand - courtesy of Bodybuilding.com

Presented by MuscleTech and brought to you by Bodybuilding.com and Flex Magazine.Additional sponsors include The Muscle Asylum Project, MuscleTime.com, Max Muscle and Six Star Muscle Fuel.PBW: The Official radio show of the 2008 Olympia Weekend and the 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic.

Story #6....Theme for 2008: Evolution of the Contest Prep Advisor. This year, the Guru played a larger role than ever before. Hany Rambod:

Story #5....Hidetata Yamagishi hopped on a flight from Tokya to LA... landed in jail for a few weeks. Pled out on 9 drug counts to a lesser charge. Major IFBB Pro event was cancelled, depriving an entire country the chance to host a bodybuilding show.

Story #4...."The Great Jay Cutler Debate". Even though he won the title, many in the sport had Vic Martinez being the best man onstage at the 2007 Olympia. Bob Chic says the result wasn't about bad judging, but a bad judging system. Jay won because of mathematics.

Larry Pepe: Cutler was villified - fans turned on him. In one night, no one wanted to see him win anymore. Jay went from 'could do no wrong' to 'could do no right'.

Bob: "Nothing will replace 2006 (the moment in history when jay won). 2007 was different. The crowd was responsive, but didn't have that energy. Everybody just assumed Jay would waltz in and grab his second Sandow. It was AFTER the show, people started to look at the pics.

Story #3....Phil Heath's Sensational Season

Phil Heath winning the Ironman, Runner-Up at the Arnold, and 3rd at the Olympia.

Story #2....9th time is a charm - Dexter Jackson Topples Jay Cutler to win the 2008 Mr. Olympia Show

Started his BBing career as a 140-pound bantamweight bodybuilder... added 90 pounds to become the top bodybuilder in the world.

Story #1....Ben Weider Passes Away

Benjamin Weider was born on 1 February 1924 in Kurow near Lublin in Poland. When he was a child, his family emigrated to Canada.

In bodybuilding he founded and ran a physical fitness and sporting goods company bearing his name. He was IFBB president until October 29th 2006, when he announced his retirement. He donated a gym to the Israeli Knesset.

In Napoleonic circles Weider was known as a forceful advocate of the theory that Napoleon was assassinated by a member of his entourage during his exile in Saint Helena. He co-authored a book, The Murder Of Napoleon, with Sten Forshufvud about this. Weider also founded the International Napoleonic Society, of which he was the President, and has written numerous articles for this organization.[1]

In 1975 he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Officer in 2006.[2] In 2000, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. On October 12, 2000, he received the French Legion of Honor, that country's highest honour, and established by Bonaparte himself. Weider was also a 1984 nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize[3], member of the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame, Commander of the Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem and had several honorary doctorate degrees. The Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution at the Florida State University History Department has recently created the Ben Weider Chair in Revolutionary Studies. In total, Ben accumulated over 66 awards and honours during his lifetime.[4]

From 1998 to 2005, Ben Weider was Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the 62nd (Shawinigan) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA. In 2005, he was promoted to be the Honorary Colonel of that military unit. In October 2006 Ben Weider unexpectedly retired as president of the IFBB.

In 2008, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th Anniversary Arnold Classic (only the eighth time in the competition's history that this award had been presented).[5]

Ben owned one of the most extensive collections of Napoleon memorabilia, including one of the bicorne hats worn by the "The Little Corporal" during the invasion of Russia in 1812, of which only 12 are known to still exist today. Three weeks before his death, Ben donated his entire set of priceless Napoleonic artifacts, over 60 pieces in all, to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, making it one of the largest collections of its kind in the world. Prince Charles Napoleon, great-great-grandson of Napoleon's youngest brother Jerome will be on hand to inaugurate the museum's new permanent gallery on Oct. 23.[6]

Weider died on October 17th, 2008 at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal.[7]

Story #4...."The Great Jay Cutler Debate". Even though he won the title, many in the sport had Vic Martinez being the best man onstage at the 2007 Olympia. Bob Chic says the result wasn't about bad judging, but a bad judging system. Jay won because of mathematics.

Larry Pepe: Cutler was villified - fans turned on him. In one night, no one wanted to see him win anymore. Jay went from 'could do no wrong' to 'could do no right'.